Buzz Williams spoke with reporters following Virginia Tech's 63-88 loss to West Virginia and a one-hour and forty-five minute post-game team meeting.
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Buzz Williams Discusses Virginia Tech's 63-88 Loss to West Virginia
Video of the Head Hokie's postgame remarks.
Comments
That is not real encouraging.
We can beat them in wrestling! Go Hokies! Bunch of coach speak.
I honestly didn't mind the interview. He was actually a lot calmer than I would have anticipated after a game like today's.
Calm, yes, but he also seemed defeated. Is he giving up? Come 'on, man!
He did just finish an hour and 45 minute meeting with his players. I'm sure that conversation was emotionally exhausting and didn't have enough in him to be "energized" for a meeting with the press.
We have a long way to go before we become a decent ACC basketball team. I know it's just year 2 and the program is in a transient state but I expected to not get blown out by great teams on a regular basis. We have a lot of talent on this team, it's time for some of these guys to step up and become players who belong in the ACC.
Is that only because we believe we have a lot of talent on this team? Great teams will blow us out because they're great and we aren't right now. If we're getting blown out by the BCs, Clemsons, and Georgia Techs of the ACC every game over the next two seasons, then I'll start to be concerned.
Thing is, since Buzz took over we aren't getting blown out by average to below average ACC teams, or mediocre out of conference teams. Our worst blowout loss factoring in strength of opponent is probably the 21 point loss to Clemson last year. Otherwise we've at least been competitive against similarly skilled opponents.
Just listed below by class (fr,so,jr,sr) the stats for guys who get significant time. There are a number of factors plaguing this team:
* Injuries
* Unfamiliarity
* Youth
* Lack of "complete" players
* Lack of seasoned leadership
* Lack of low post
* Lack of ball handling talent across the team
* Tranfers unless ridiculously talented don't have much time to grow and contribute
These are very serious deficiencies that won't be overcome this year. If we have a few guys work really hard this summer, next year could be much better (our Jrs must all get much, much better if they want a shot at Europe / NBA...3 guys blow up next year could be much better), but likely this team finds itself the year after (assuming we replace two guards ... SG and PG... and LeDay) But when you look at the numbers below, the talent on the team, you have to be encouraged. With that said, I think several guys including Hudson and Wilson were really struggling during the first half (missed the second half). Struggling more with the mental aspect of not trusting themselves to play the game. Why is that? They are competitive guys who are getting shown up badly against decent opponents. The boo birds who think guys like Allen are "selfish" need to give it a rest. You don't know sh** about basketball, and your morality screws up your views on how a basketball team needs to operate. We need guys who are going to let it all hang out right now. Our system and talent are not enough. When that happens you have to try something... beating the other team individually or through the system. It usually isn't going to work because we're not there yet on either account. Teams like WVU are really good. Our ball movement was keeping us in the game early. They tightened up on the D end of things (or maybe we went cold) and that partially opened up the game. Buzz will sit and/or reign in Allen if needed. Today it seemed to me he was a bit more reigned in. For folks booing him, well how you like the Hokies today without him much of the game? Expecting more out of these kids and pressing right now is the wrong thing. They need to be encouraged and keep working hard on the fundamentals of the game. Good things will only happen by working hard and trusting in one another.
Until we know different, we should all assume they are good kids working hard to represent. All this vitriol and negativity around kids and a coach that are in a difficult situation is embarrassing. If we don't have turnover then the next recruiting class is going to be pivotal/make or break. Really hoping these guys can overachieve this year and next. Sign some stud PG, SG, SF to replace our Jrs... then the Fr will be playing with our So who will be Srs... a team with senior leadership, senior talent (even if at SG, SF) in Blacksburg. That transition will be key. I think Buzz understands it much better than I do and he will get it done.
Name Pos. Height Min PPG RPG
Justin Robinson G 6' 1" 20.4 6 1.8
Chris Clarke G/F 6' 6" 25.7 10.5 7.4
Kerry Blackshear Jr. F 6' 10" 19.3 6.7 5.3
Justin Bibbs G 6' 5" 30.1 13.3 2.3
Ahmed Hill G 6' 5"
Satchel Pierce F 7' 0"
Jalen Hudson G 6' 5" 17.6 6.3 1.8
Devin Wilson G 6' 4" 24.7 3.1 2.1
Johnny Hamilton C 7' 0" 10.5 3.6 3.6
Ty Outlaw G/F 6' 6"
Seth Allen G 6' 1" 26 14.3 3.5
Greg Donlon F 6' 8"
Zach LeDay F 6' 7" 27.8 14.9 9.5
Matt Galloway G 6' 3"
Shane Henry F 6' 8"
Well written. I would give you a leg but, alas, i can't. I do like the hustle and tough play of this team. However, we have no one on the team that can shoot CONSISTENTLY. Ok, Bibbs can shoot and so can Allen. Outside of them, we have no outside presence at all. I love Clarke's motor, but he can't shoot a lick either. Throw the damn ball up, what are we going to do, lose?
"We have a long way to go before we become a decent ACC basketball team"
We have a LONG way to go before we become a decent COLLEGE team.
He seems genuinely disappointed that we lost given the team's preparation. I always appreciate how up front and direct Buzz is about what he believes the problems with the team and himself are.
Definitely a bummer to see coach so down in that interview. hurts the soul. hopefully the team can come together and compete in acc play
well, that was depressing. it's impossible to take it all in without also getting the video of the team meeting post game to go with it, but on its own, it's depressing. i hope he and the players can get things going in the right direction and maybe give us some exciting ACC wins this season.
It wasn't going to ever be a quick fix. Our previous adminstration saw to that.
This same team lost to Alabama State this year. If your expectations weren't immediately readjusted then, that's on you.
Based on what I have seen from Buzz, I think he may be disappointed, but he appears to me to like a challenge. Hence taking this job in the first place. He is a straight shooter and very respectful. I think he has a lot on his mind and how he needs to fix this.
He started off the video saying he wishes he coached them better, and that they played hard. I think he gets it, and I'm glad he is our coach.
I remember when Dook was not very good at all and they hired this guy named Coach K and it took him almost 4 years to begin to turn it around. People need to get real and know it takes time to build not rebuild that tough winning culture and it for sure takes more than a year and a half! There was nothing there to rebuild when he got here. Build a program that will be tough, talented, and have the ability to win every game they play and have depth. Time Hokies, it takes TIME. Even UVAs Bennet needed time to turn their program around after all the transfers and player defections before he righted the ship. You have to see that.
Your memory is lacking. Duke was very good under Bill Foster before Coach K. Foster (not the one that coached at VT) was lured away by South Carolina with big $$.
I didnt take his demeanor as depressed in any sense. Frustrated perhaps, but it seemed to me he was just being extremely careful with what he said to the media after such a disappointing outcome because he knew that saying something to spark up the WVU fans or negatively about our own players would do nothing but compound the loss. You also had to see when he was screaming into the towels at timeouts combined with almost two hours discussing the game with players and staff post game that it was hard work even to speak at this press conference for lack of voice.
It was interesting to hear him divulge that to prepare for the press they played 5 on 7 at practice this week, which makes the fact they couldnt break the press more often a bit frustrating, but I imagine that he didnt have a chance in those practices to run all the combinations of five that he was forced to use in this game because of foul trouble. Combine that with the fact that WVU had a constant rotation of man-folks out there compared to who our guys practiced against makes a huge difference in physicality that our young players just cant be expected to have at this point.
It was also good to see him hit on the two areas that really killed us against the Mountaineers in offensive rebounds allowed and turnovers being too high. He also addressed the need to have a better shooting percentage on free throws.
He gave us probably our best insight into where Ahmed Hill is in terms of returning at any point so far this year, saying he is at 85%.
I respectfully disagree with those above about Allen's ability to shoot from outside of five feet. He shoots 25% on 17 of 68 shooting from outside the arc. He shoots only 31% on shots outside of the lane but inside the arc. It goes up to 69% on shots inside the lane, including layups. He has the second worst shooting percentage of any of our regular players on this team, him and Justin Robinson are the only ones under 40% this season. His saving grace is that he does have the ability to shoot free throws although even that could be improved at 73% on the year. Sad part is that Zach Leday at 75% is the only Hokie shooting better at the line than Allen.
The other area of his game that I thought was improving was his decision making, ball control and ability to distribute but that appears to have been an aberration instead. Three more times yesterday he attempted to drive, turned the ball over and failed to get back on defense on all three. One other time he failed to get to the basket and instead of passing out to the two wide open teammates with clear passing lanes, he chucked it up awkwardly three quarters of the way up the lane. Allen accounts for 21% of our teams turnovers while playing less minutes per game than Leday, Bibbs, Clarke, and Wilson. The closest teammate in terms of turnovers is Robinson at 14%. Letting it all hang out only goes so far before it tips the teeter totter in the opposite direction, which is where we currently are with Allen.
The one area where Allen has made some strides is on the defensive end when he isnt pouting about a turnover. He has shown he can stay with his man for the most part and offer help defense when called upon.
The other area that we just have to come to terms with is that Allen is never going to be the "point guard" on this team. That will fall much more to Wilson and Robinson. Bottom line is that I don't have a problem when Allen drives to the basket, where he has shown he can be effective, but he needs to improve on ball control (cut down on turnovers, increase assists by +2 a game) and he needs to stop shooting the three, because unless he can find half again of Bibbs stroke, he has no business shooting from outside the lane. All of this said, he remains one of our top three scoring threats because of his ability to reach the rim. Its just very ugly basketball to get there.
Many of you jumped on those of us that put our record for this season at 13-18 or worse but now you are beginning to see why we put our team in those terms. For many of the reasons listed above, this isnt a good team yet. We dont have the pieces or the physical development to consistently beat ACC teams. The injuries to Clarke and Hill and medical set back for Outlaw probably put us another half a season behind in terms of competing in conference because it removes three of the top energy guys that Buzz so desperately wants to be able to implement his system defensively. The broadcasters yesterday were not kidding that when Buzz was at Marquette, he ran a very similar defensive system to Bob Huggi Bear in terms of speed, physicality and length of the floor.
Thanks, good stuff.
Buzz said pregame that Outlaw was the top talent in last years class and that he had an offer from a best of the best program (didn't say specifically) and chose ours.
That offer came from Kansas. Yeah, that Kansas.
Yeah, I never expected better than .500 this year and my excitement was for the new freshmen and watching them develop. This is basically a brand new team trying to find its identity & I think they eventually will but maybe not til next year!
Let me also say that Roger Ayers is a great official, but the other two are atrocious and I'm thinking Buzz is being too kind to those two. For them, its about blowing the whistle on any minor contact- they just don't have the quick judgement to be good officials.
There is just too much minor contact being called a foul these days and it absolutely ruins the game flow. It was on both sides yesterday. I'm really getting sick of watching it. If you watched the GS- Cleveland game you saw a great game with a decent amount of contact and you'd never think it was too rough. These clowns would have called 40 fouls in that game.
Unfortunately the minor contact fouls are more because of the new rules implemented this season rather than the refs. We saw alot more in this game because of WVUs style of play forcing contact one way or another. Its definitely not fun to watch which is why I was against the rule changes in the first place. Expect to see more games like this though as we move forward.
I'm glad we have the video, but is it really so hard to hold the camera steady? Use both hands! Maybe get a tripod if you need it!
Was this filmed using a freehand telephoto?
Don't mean to complain, but like this team, there's room for improvement.
For thirteen minutes, depending on the camera, yes. My guess that was shot with an iPad, just off the focus when he moves and the audio quality, could be wrong.
For postgame this is fine as I just had it open in another tab listening to it, but I'd love to see more video/digital content going forward. I know it takes re#sauces, but it'd push TKP above and beyond (further than it already is) of everything else.
Watching this video, I still like Buzz. A lot.
I'm still a Buzz-liever, and I still think he'll get there, even if it's not this season.
You mean if he stays.
Why wouldn't he? He's two years into at least a 5-year rebuild.
I really don't see why he would leave without giving this a VERY good shot. In my honest opinion, IF he can build the culture he wants (and I don't see why he can't), I honestly see him staying around quite a while and making Tech his permanent home. It really doesn't make sense why he would leave Marquette for Tech of all places, unless he wanted to make a permanent mark here.
What if he doesn't stay?
Then we go out and hire someone else.
As I watch teams who play very aggressive defense with a lot of contact, I seem to always feel like the opposing team is always going to have the disadvantage. It very well might be my bias, but it seems to me that the refs don't want to have to call a foul every defensive possession for teams like WV, being that that is their style of play. It makes me think as I watch, they get away with a lot more of the contact fouls that by the new rules should be called. Is it just me, or are they truly playing without fouling because they know how to better anticipate player movement and have better hands?
Its hard to say that fouls weren't called on WVU when both teams ended up with 30 fouls each. You could argue that there were anywhere from 15-20 more fouls that went uncalled but I thought those were more in the lane in a normal setting rather than during their pressure defense. The one foul that really seemed to go uncalled was over the back. It led to at least a half a dozen offensive rebounds for WVU.
Thanks for the response. I felt like there were more than a few calls as you indicated in the lane that went uncalled. I haven't rewatched the game, but the one where LeDay got mauled when he went up really got me going.
Uncalled fouls are frustrating for me as well. When we played VCU's Havoc, for example, it seemed to be a continuous foul that was seldom called, and I always thought that was because the refs just didn't want to stop the game every other possession to call them. I agree about the over the back non-calls in the WVU game. Some egregious actions were ignored. It wouldn't have changed the outcome, I don't think, but it was tough to see it happening time and time again.
This is the point I was trying to get across. It's like watching Duke play defense. I feel like the refs sometimes just say "it's just how Duke plays" and many of the fouls go uncalled. Give both teams props though, they get after it. Also, has to be extremely tough for officials to try and officiate teams who play that style.
Agreed. And I'm not anti-officials, although Lenny Wirtz might argue with me about that. He definitely took a more than fair share of my abuse back in my rabid/rowdy days in Cassell. I also give any team props that can consistently field a competitive brand of Bball, and the first thing I learned about joining the ACC is you have to just accept the reality of the statement that "Dook is Dook". While I don't aspire to be a hated team, I would at least like to get back to being a team you really have to work hard to beat, and I truly think that Buz can make that happen in time.
There was a discussion on another thread about knowing the officials and how they work/react, historically, to certain situations. Do you then change what you do in order to maximize/minimize their effect on your game? Pissin' and moanin' doesn't seem to be the answer, and Lenny never got better for my, well let's just call it "encouragement". It is impossible to think that all the refs in all the levels of the game in all the land will suddenly be able to think and act and react like automatons, so how do we mitigate the worst of it? Well, at least we have a New Year and a day to mull it over.